A Q&A With Sophomore Forward Jessica Jankowski As She Travels Through Europe

Sophomore forward Jessica Jankowski (Berkley Heights, N.J.) of the Quinnipiac women's soccer team is currently spending the semester studying all throughout Europe. Jankowski has been to places such as Italy, Portugal, and Spain. Jankowski even visited Camp Nou, the home stadium of FC Barcelona. Jankowski took the time for a Q&A discussing how her trip has been so far.

Q: What has the trip has been like? When did it start and what have you been doing?

A: The trip has been an amazing, once in a lifetime experience. I came to Ireland on January 2nd and took a trip to Paris for a long weekend in February. That was great because it showed us how traveling would be when we got to our Eurotrip, which started March 31st.

Q: Where have you gone and where are you staying?

A: I am traveling with a group of girls from QU. In Portugal we flew into Lisbon and saw Alfama, Sintra, and Belém. Then we took the eurail to Barcelona which was a 15 hours on a train. In Barcelona we saw la Sagrada Familia, Parc Güell, and the Barca game at Camp Nou. Now I am in Venice and just got here but am planning on exploring the city more. I will also be going to Interlaken, Switzerland and Munich Germany. We may be stopping in Prague, Czech Republic as well. We are staying in different hostels all along the way.

Q: What was the Barcelona stadium like?

A: The stadium was unreal! The atmosphere was unlike anything I've ever felt at a sporting event before. The fans were chanting and cheering even before the game began, and when the team walked out for the start of the game the whole crowd was on their feet singing the teams theme song.

Q: Who did Barca play? What was the game like?

A: Barca played Real Betis. The game was great and Barcelona's style of play was amazing. They played in a style that allowed them to keep possession for most of the game, and have most of the attacking opportunities. They were able to pass the ball around and play quick one touch passes because the team was always one step ahead.

Q: What do you hope to get out of the rest trip?

A: I hope to gain a greater experience for different cultures around the world. I have already learned how to take a step back and relax from the cultures I've seen so far, and I hope to gain more from the counties I haven't visited yet. I also appreciate how people live in other countries because it's often very different than American ways.

Q: What experiences are you going to take back from the trip?

A: I will take back a new appreciation for how the rest of the world lives. I will also take more time to relax and appreciate life while it happens instead of worry about what will come next.